Jetee/extenxion

Steve Wyrick

Message 39407 · 30 Sep 2004 19:38:03 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

Richard Goss said:
> Again the question of movement or music.
> One begins the pdb on the upbeat in the previous bar with an extension,
if
> we are speaking of music, one will notice that the phrase starts on the
up
> beat (4 if counting 4 to a bar), and ends on 2 (3 if counting 4 to a
bar).
>
> This is true of all fast time music and steps. However in slow time,
there
> is still an up beat but the step starts on the first beat/count.
>

Actually there are lots of tunes that, as written, have phrases which
start on the first beat, with no pickup note. When playing these tunes
it's up to the musicians to recognize when the addition of a pickup note
is needed to cue the dancers. I think it's only at the beginning of the
first tune of a dance, or at the tempo change in a medley, that playing a
pickup note is required rather than optional. In other cases, the dancers
should have the rhythm and no extra prompting should be necessary; they'll
instinctively start on the upbeat if they need to. -Steve
--
Steve Wyrick - Concord, California